This story is from November 16, 2014

Shahi Marg widening likely to start in January

The widening of Shahi Marg for next year's Kumbh Mela, which had hit a roadblock due to opposition from some land owners, is expected to commence in January.Officials said the land owners would get the notices next month.
Shahi Marg widening likely to start in January
NASHIK: The widening of Shahi Marg for next year's Kumbh Mela, which had hit a roadblock due to opposition from some land owners, is expected to commence in January.
Officials said the land owners would get the notices next month. Meanwhile, the land acquisition office is preparing the list of properties and would submit it to the public works department of the civic body on Monday.
The notification under Section 6 of the Land Acquisition Act had been published early this week and on December 9 the notice under Section 9 will be given.

During the last Kumbh Mela in 2003, 29 people died in a stampede at Sardar chowk on Shahi Marg.
The state government had appointed an inquiry committee, headed by then divisional commissioner of Aurangabad V Ramani, to probe the stampede. Following the probe, the committee in its report had suggested widening of the Shahi Marg.
Six months ago, the route was surveyed and was jointly measured by the land acquisition department of the district collectorate and the civic officials.
In June, the district collectorate sought Rs 4.44 crore from the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) for compensation to the land owners in the first phase (land acquisition case number 40/13) of widening of the Shahi Marg and Rs 8.41 crore for the second phase (land acquisition case number 55/13).

The delay by the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC) in giving the payment to the district collectorate and also the opposition by the residents had delayed the widening of the road.
"We did not have a full-time municipal commissioner for nearly seven months. Now with a full-time municipal commissioner we can pursue the widening of the Shahi Marg. Considering that we have to complete the work by March, we have to really speed up our work. The widening is essential," an NMC official said.
Special land acquisition officer Bhimrao Shinde said the notification under Section 6 had been published on November 10 and the notification under Section 9 will be published on December 9.
"Those who have any objections can do so by December 21. In the first week of January, we will announce the compensation and by the end of January, we will try to give the money to the land owners," said Shinde.
The existing width of the three-km Shahi Marg from Tapovan to Ramkund is 4.5 m to 6 m at different locations as the road is uneven. In the first phase (land acquisition case number 40/13) the development plan (DP) road will be widened to 12 m for which 900 sq m excess area is needed.
In the second phase (land acquisition case number 55/13) the DP road will be widened to 9 m, 12 m and 15 m. depending upon the existing width of the road at different locations. For this, an excess land of 5,850 sq m is needed.
"In the first phase, there are 13 properties. In the second phase, there are 110 properties. We will send the list to the public works department for valuation by Monday. They will have to see how much damage will be caused to the properties," said Shinde.
A resident of Sardar Chowk said Shahi Marg was uneven and that the compensation amount generally paid by the NMC was not sufficient.
"The alternative Shahi Marg is a good option. The government officials should convince the sadhus to use that rather than causing inconvenience to us. The present Shahi Marg is uneven and many properties would lose some part of their structures that they may cause disturbance to the entire structure," he said.
Another resident said that the government machinery was allegedly at fault as there was no crowd management and the one-way Shahi Marg at Sardar Chowk area was used as two-way by the people.
"The government officials are accountable. If they performed their duty well, the stampede could have been prevented. There was no policeman to check in which direction the pilgrims were moving. Because of their fault we will be losing our properties," said the resident.
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